Class Action Lawsuit Filed: NO MORE MOVIE THEATER PREVIEWS

February 26th, 2003

In the mad rush to make it to the
theater with enough time to purchase the tickets, grab a bucket of popcorn, and
still catch opening credits, subsequent previews and ads tend to be our one
saving grace. However, for one Illinois high-school
English teacher, those same commercials are reason enough to file a
lawsuit.

On February 21st, 2003, Miriam Fisch, as a plaintiff in a
class-action suit against Loews Cineplex Entertainment Group, charged the movie
company with “failing to start movies at scheduled times and showing
commercials for up to 10 minutes”.The suit continues on to accuse Loews of bombarding "captive
audiences with unannounced and unwanted advertisements."

Loews has since responded with the following statement.

"We believe that this lawsuit is frivolous and
completely without merit. The exhibition business has a long tradition of
providing information, entertainment and advertisements prior to feature films,
including previews for upcoming motion pictures. In fact, the movie-going public
has come to expect this type of content prior to viewing the main feature. We
are committed to providing our patrons with the best overall movie-going
experience and believe that this pre-feature content on the whole enhances that
experience." February 21st, 2003.

Though no specific mention of reparations has been made
in the suit, a lawyer for Miriam Fisch has been quoted as saying.
"The movie industry went for 100 years
without commercials…Our basic proposition is that if you are forced to watch
commercials, you should be compensated for it."